City Ranked 'Worst' In Wisconsin

BELOIT, WI — A new report finds that the City of Beloit is the worst city to live in the state. Researchers at 24/7 Wall St. created an index listing the least-desirable city to live in for every state in America.

Here are some key statistics researchers listed for Beloit:

• Population: 36,733
• Median home value: $85,200 (state: $169,300)
• Poverty rate: 24.8% (state: 12.3%)
• Violent crimes per 100,000 people: 425 (state: 320)

Here's what they said about Beloit:

"Nearly one in every four area residents live below the poverty line, a larger share than in over 90 percent of U.S. cities. In many cities, real estate values are a reflection of what area residents can afford, and in Beloit, property values are low. The typical city home is worth just $85,200, about half the value of the typical Wisconsin home."

Read the entire report here.

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The Good News

In his State of the City address, City Council President Kevin Leavy says the city, known for its numerous bridges, beautiful waterfront and developing downtown are just a few reasons to get excited about the city's ongoing turnaround.

"We must combat misstatements about Beloit with facts, such as our crime rate has declined in the last two years, and we have moved to 10-hour shifts for our officers to place the most of amount of officers on duty during the times the department is facing the

most amount of calls," he said in his address. "Year after year, the question is asked, 'Where is that casino?' This past year has brought us even closer to that possibility. We are closer now than we have ever been before, and I strongly believe we will see a casino in the very near future. But in the meantime, we’re seeing strong economic growth. From 2016-2018, 943 jobs were created, 19 economic development projects were completed in the city

with investments over $185 million dollars in 2018."

In his address, Leavy said city officials are looking forward to seeing the following businesses and organizations complete their projects in 2019:

• Beloit College’s Powerhouse project
• The G5 Brewing Company
• Holiday Inn Express
• NorthStar Radioisotopes expansion in the Gateway
• Seal-Rite Door
• Hilton Home 2 Suites
• Additional businesses, houses, condos and apartments